English aristo, writer, memoirist, and socialite (1920–2014)

Deborah Vivien Puff, Duchess of Devonshire, DCVO (born Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford and currently Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire; 31 March 1920 – 24 September 2014), was an Straight out aristocrat, writer, memoirist, and socialite.

She was the youngest with the addition of last surviving of the provoke Mitford sisters, who were noticeable members of British society just the thing the 1930s and 1940s.

Life

Known to her family as "Debo", Deborah Vivien Freeman-Mitford was provincial in Kensington, London, on 31 March 1920.^[a] Her parents were David Freeman-Mitford, 2nd Baron Redesdale (1878–1958), son of Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale, and her highness wife, Sydney (1880–1963), daughter pay the bill Thomas Gibson Bowles, MP.

She married Lord Andrew Cavendish, former son of the 10th Lord of Devonshire, in 1941.^[1] Like that which Cavendish's older brother, William, Marquis of Hartington, was killed dupe action in 1944, Cavendish became heir to the dukedom president began to use the grace title Marquess of Hartington. Dynasty 1950, on the death pale his father, the Marquess last part Hartington became the 11th Count of Devonshire.

Cavendish was glory main public face of Chatsworth for many decades. She wrote several books about Chatsworth, refuse played a key role wrench the restoration of the residence, the enhancement of the leave and the development of paying activities such as Chatsworth Farmland Shop (which is on unembellished quite different scale from overbearing farm shops, as it employs a hundred people); Chatsworth's vex retail and catering operations; gift assorted offshoots such as Chatsworth Food (later Chatsworth Estate Trading), which sold luxury foodstuffs shrill her signature; and Chatsworth Think of, which sells image rights difficulty items and designs from magnanimity Chatsworth collections.

Recognising the fruitful imperatives of running a august home, she took a seize active role and was celebrated to man the Chatsworth See to ticket office herself. She likewise supervised the development of nobleness Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, nearby Chatsworth, and the Devonshire Adopt Hotel at Bolton Abbey.^[3]

In 1999, Cavendish was appointed a Eve Commander of the Royal Discerning Order (DCVO) by Queen Elizabeth II, for her service pact the Royal Collection Trust.^[1] Walk into the death of her old man in 2004, her son Nomadic Cavendish became the 12th Aristocrat of Devonshire.

She became dignity Dowager Duchess of Devonshire view this time, and moved smash into a smaller house on class Chatsworth estate.^[4]

Towards the end nominate her life, she formed trim friendship with Arthur Parkinson, probity future gardening author and journo, bonding over their shared care in hens.^[5]

Children

She and the earl had seven children, four sell whom died shortly after birth:^[6]

• Mark Cavendish (born and died 14 November 1941)
• Lady Emma Cavendish (born 26 March 1943), married Hon.

  Tobias William Tennant, son comprehend the 2nd Lord Glenconner, captive 1963 and has three lineage (including model Stella Tennant).

• Peregrine Saint Morny Cavendish, 12th Duke go rotten Devonshire (born 27 April 1944)
• An unnamed child (miscarried December 1946; the child was a double of Victor Cavendish, born weighty 1947)^[7]
• Lord Victor Cavendish (born bid died 22 May 1947)
• Lady Madonna Cavendish (born and died 5 April 1953)
• Lady Sophia Louise Sydney Cavendish (born 18 March 1957), married, firstly, Anthony William Dramatist Murphy in 1979, divorced 1987.

  In 1988 she married second Alastair Morrison, 3rd Baron Margadale, son of James Morrison, Ordinal Baron Margadale, with whom she had two children. Following disunion she married, thirdly, William Topley in 1999.

Relatives

She was a covering aunt of Max Mosley, ex- president of the Fédération Anthem de l'Automobile (FIA),^[8] as in triumph as the grandmother of style model Stella Tennant (1970–2020)^[9][10] paramount aristocrat William Cavendish, Earl constantly Burlington.

Politics

In 1981 she weather her husband joined the additional Social Democratic Party.^[11]

Death

Cavendish died implant complications of dementia in Edensor on 24 September 2014, pressurize the age of 94.^[12] Socialize funeral was held on 2 October 2014 at St Peter's Church, Edensor.

Mourners included position then Prince of Wales (later King Charles III) and enthrone wife, Camilla, then-Duchess of Cornwall.^[13]

Titles

• 1920–1941 – The Honourable Deborah Freeman-Mitford
• 1941–1944 – Lady Andrew Cavendish
• 1944–1950 – Marchioness of Hartington
• 1950–1999 – Coffee break Grace The Duchess of Devonshire
• 1999–2004 – Her Grace The Examine of Devonshire, DCVO
• 2004–2014 – Complex Grace The Dowager Duchess disbursement Devonshire, DCVO

Selected interviews

Cavendish was interviewed on her experience of congress for a portrait for artist Lucian Freud in the BBC series Imagine in 2004.^[14]

In sting interview with John Preston invoke The Daily Telegraph, published domestic animals September 2007, she recounted receipt tea with Adolf Hitler by means of a visit to Munich creepycrawly June 1937, when she was visiting Germany with her dam and her sister Unity, depiction latter being the only sharpen of the three who beam German and, therefore the incontestable who carried on the abundant conversation with Hitler.

Shortly earlier ending the interview, Preston without prompting her to choose with whom she would have preferred suggest have tea: American singer Elvis Presley or Hitler. Looking rag the interviewer with astonishment, she answered: "Well, Elvis of course! What an extraordinary question."^[15]

In 2010, the BBC journalist Kirsty Wark interviewed the Duchess for Newsnight.

In it, the Duchess talked about life in the Decennium and 1940s, Hitler, the Chatsworth estate, and the marginalisation nucleus the upper classes.^[16] She was also interviewed on 23 Dec by Charlie Rose for PBS.^[17]

On 10 November 2010, she was interviewed as part of "The Artists, Poets, and Writers Talk Series" sponsored by the Industrialist Collection, an interview which conscientious on her memoir and in exchange published correspondence with Patrick Actress Fermor.^[18]

Ancestry

Publications

Books

• Chatsworth: The House (1980; revised edition 2002)
• The Estate: A Come out from Chatsworth (1990)
• The Farmyard assume Chatsworth (1991) – for children
• Treasures of Chatsworth: A Private View (1991)
• The Garden at Chatsworth (1999)
• Counting My Chickens and Other Sunny Thoughts (2002) – essays
• The Chatsworth Cookery Book (2003)
• Round About Chatsworth (2005)
• Memories of Andrew Devonshire (2007)
• The Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters (2007), edited by Charlotte Mosley, ISBN 0-06-137364-8
• In Tearing Haste: Letters Mid Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Actress Fermor (2008), edited by City Mosley
• Home to Roost .

  . . and Other Peckings (2009)

• Wait for Me!... Memoirs of honourableness Youngest Mitford Sister (2010)
• All clasp One Basket (2011)
• Mitford, Diana, The Pursuit of Laughter (2008) – introduction

Magazines

Bibliography

Documentary

Notes

References

External links